A blog on Cuddalore. CuddaloreOnline contains 'developement oriented' news about Cuddalore, new projects that can be taken up for the development of the town, status of ongoing projects, comments and photographs of Cuddalore. You can also find posts dealing with several aspects of urban planning & design and other issues of general interests (esp.environmental issues). Subscribe for newsletters and join the CuddaloreOnline group.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) released a book for bloggers called ' Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents '.The handbook offers advice to bloggers who want to protect themselves from recrimination and censorships.It has handy tips and technical advice on how to remain anonymous.

Here is what they ( Reporters Without Borders ) say about the book " Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution. Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they’re tremendous tools of freedom of expression.Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.Reporters Without Borders has produced this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles. "

British stronghold near the town of Cuddalore, about 100 miles (160 km) south of Madras on the southeastern coast of India. The fort was sold by the Marathas to the English East India Company in 1690. It was named for the patron saint of Wales because the governor of Madras at the time, Elihu Yale, was Welsh. It was purchased because of increasing political instability in southern India.

Friday, September 23, 2005

As is obvious the popularity of digital banner is growing alarmingly.This is rather a troublsome trend not only because the material used is non-biodegradable but also because they placed where ever the feellike(You would seen them placing banners in front of Cuddalore Municipal Park and few in front of the fountain setup by TANFAC ).Apart form being hindrance to free flow of traffic it makes the town look untidy.

Our District Administrator rightly pointed out this problem and suggested a better solution.His idea of fixing some suitable sites for erecting such banners my muncipality itself and the idea of collection of rents for every banner placed is really great.

Apart for eliminating various problems,it would bring additional revenue for the mucipality which inturn can be used on developemental activities.

I think to follow all these regulatory procedures it would be necessary to bring up resolutions in the Municipal Council.How far the politicians will co-operate in this case is questionable because they would be biggest violators of such regulations.

Waters tanks are placed in many places inside the busstand.There must have been some goodwill behind placing that.But is it always doing good??.No.They are actually placed for drinking purpose not many use it for the same.They use the water for washing their faces,hands and legs(I did not see in the morning belive some may even take bath :)) ).This makes the water stagnate near every tank and make place really nasty.Tanks mostly attracts beggers and nomads(who stay near Railway Station and behind the Muthiya Theatre) so ordinary citizens dont make use of it.

I dont agree that it is a good idea placing such tanks for drinking purpose.It needs to be cleaned regularly which in present situation is practically impossible.So there is an easy chance of contamination.I think anyone who travel by bus can well afford a rupee or two to get a water pocket.So its needless to place such water tanks there.

The municipal building in the bus stand premises(along the Lawrence Road) is in very bad condition. It lacks cleanliness. No wonder if the building collapses(it is in such a bad condition).

Concrete worn away, you can see the steel structures protruding outside (as you see in many government buildings across India). Sidewalls of the stairs are broken apart. I am not certain whether it would make through this monsoon season.

The space outside the Subrayulu Reddiar Hall is being fenced.Hope to see ornamental plants there.It would be nice if they many so proper arrangement for placing digital banners.Often the banners there intrude into the road.

I am happy to see Lawrence Road being relitted.Its was just this morning is posted about it.Also the high mast lamps and the signals near the Krishnalaya Complex were also powered.But the timer in the signal there isnt working properly.Not only the timer with this signal but also the timer with the signal in front of Collector's Camp.It makes me think we would be safe without such malfunctioning timers.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

A tsunami art exhibition by NSS students was held recently. The exhibition was based on the relief activity carried out by the NSS volunteers of the Anna University.

More than 200 works of art from 230 engineering colleges were displayed. Vice-chancellor D. Vishwananthan inaugurated the exhibition. The exhibition was an expression of condolences to the people who suffered in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. It also aimed at creating awareness among the student community of how to carry out rescue operations.

The university NSS Cell has 250 units in the engineering colleges and 25,000 NSS volunteers doing development activities in adopted villages. The vice-chancellor also released the proceedings of a seminar, "Technologies for Rural Development", at the exhibition on September 13.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

A Rs.7-crore unit for manufacturing ammonium perchlorate(an imporatant ingredient of solid fuels for missiles and rockets) was recently setup in Cuddalore SIPCOT.The unit is of indegeniuos technology and a advanced plant of this sort.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has helped in setting up the unit.DRDO had given the lisence and a financial assistance of Rs 1.80 crores to the company.M. Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, inaugurated the unit.He said,"plant that would experiment and enrich the quality of propellant."It seems the unit has been start to free ourselves from the control international producers of solid fuel.

The unit would convert the common salt into sodium perchlorate through electrolysis and by adding ammonium chloride, obtain the fuel, ammonium chlorate, in powder form.The unit would meet the major requirements of the DRDO and ISRO for ammonium perchlorate.The unit has production capacity of 400 tonnes per year.

I am not sure of the environmental impact of the unit.Impact if any I will post them soon.

I have recently came to know about Sanctuary Asia.I did not have much idea about that except for it would be magazine about ecological conservation.I just googled which just returned the link http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/ and a description "Provides information on the natural history of the Indian subcontinent, andsuggestions on India's environmental and wildlife conservation movement."

Last wednesday when I was in Barathi Road I had saw a few cows grazing at the middle of the road.Grazing in the the middle of the road Barathi Road?.Yep.They were grazing the ornamental plants and grass in the crash averter.

All these happened in day light,inmidst of heavy traffic.If this could happen during the day time what would not happen during the night.

Following the Chennai Corporation , Cuddalore Municipality can bring up resolutions to arrest the owners of animals who let them to roam around the town.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Kamaraj Park has become an ideal site for piddling.If this is the case of a place near Collector's Camp Office I can very well imagine the condition of other places in the town.All his happens even in broad day light.Miscreants take shelter behind the Digital Banners erected there.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Tmt. Lourdes Ligoria an Assistant Teacher of Sacred Heart Middle School,Cuddalore is one of the reciepent of National Award for Teachers (2004).The president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam gave away National Awards to 306 teachers on the occasion of Teachers Day. Shri Arjun Singh, Minister for Human Resource Development were also present on the occasion.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

An extensive Seismic survey sponsored by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), commenced at the Cuddalore coast with the venture of a research vessel MV Geco Emerald on Monday to explore the possibility of excavation for oil and to conduct a quake related study.MV Pacific Lion-II and MV Ena Supply-I and smaller ships - Sameera-I, Nandan Fishermen, Susi, Evita, RR Hanuman, Priyansh and Sai Sudha would assist the MV Geco Emerald during the operation.

87 new houses was handed over to tsunami victims at Pudukuppam,Cuddalore District on Sunday. Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt built the house for the tsunami victims.Amrita Mutt finished the job within three months of the state government allocating land....full story>>

Nowadays quiet so often we come across the news of strong tidal waves in coastal Tamil Nadu in general and Chennai,Cuddalore and Kaniyakumari in particular.Many news sources project as if it were all the consequences of Indian Ocean Tsunami.But it is not the consequence of on tsunami alone says V. Sundar, Professor and Head of the Ocean Engineering Department in the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, he puts it as "I will not accept the theory that the tsunami alone has brought about the present situation."

Prof. Sundar also suggests the following three measures to tackle turbulent waves.1.The crest levels of seawalls in all the affected areas must be raised by a metre.2.Voids among rubbles kept in the area have to be filled.3. The sea walls have to be maintained at a flatter slope.

Monday, September 05, 2005

The World Bank has given Rs 48 crore for construction of bridges and re-laying of roads in tsunami-hit areas of Cuddalore district, Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi said.

The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Sewerage Board has allotted a sum of Rs 70 lakh to augment drinking water supply in tsunami-affected areas in Cuddalore harbour area, the government hospital and the government service home, where many of the affected girls are being accommodated.And a sum of Rs 2 crores is alloted for purchasing land for building permanent houses.

This is a news item which appeared on ChennailOnline few days back.I have already posted about the new textile processing unit that is to come up in Cuddalore SIPCOT State-of-the-art textile processing park in Cuddalore .She confirmed this in while addressing the national executive commitee meeting of the FCCI.She put it as "A new textile processing zone would be established in Cuddalore under the aegis of SIPCOT, besides some apparel parks in the state." full story>>

Sunday, September 04, 2005

After long hot days Cuddalore finally relished cool shower this evening.The sky was as normal during the daytime as was during the evening.But by late evening about 8:00 PM there was a sudden heavy downpour taking everyone by surprise and the rain lasted for half-an-hour.